More than 13 lakh candidates apply for NEET 2018

New Delhi, April 19: Around 13.36 lakh aspirants have registered for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2018, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has revealed. This is an increase of approximately 2 lakh aspirants from NEET 2017, when 11.38 lakh candidates had registered to appear for the exam.

The figures, revealed in a Hindustan Times report, reflect the definitive establishment of NEET as the single window entrance exam for admissions to MBBS, BDS as well as allied medical courses in the country. While the report highlights that the increased registrations are due to “more states opting for NEET scores instead of state conducted Common Entrance Tests (CETs) for all health science courses, as well as an overall increase in number of students clearing Class 12 exams every year”, it also erroneously claims that admissions to undergraduate medical and dental courses across the country will become more difficult due to this increased number. The report also puts the total number of MBBS and BDS seats in the country at 60,000, whereas the actual figure is approximately 90,000.

Why claims of an increased competition are exaggerated

With claims being made of an increased competition, what should be noted here is that a substantial increase in NEET registrations was always expected this year, ever since the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) had issued notifications instructing all State Governments that admissions to all BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS and BNYS courses be done on the basis of the NEET merit list only from 2018 onwards.

Apart from this, certain states like Maharashtra will also be conducting admissions to BPTh, BOTh, BP&O, BASLP as well as BSc Nursing courses on the basis of NEET 2018 scores. The Veterinary Council of India (VCI) had already announced the replacement of the All India Pre-Veterinary Test (AIPVT) with NEET in 2017 itself, for admissions to the 15% All India Quota seats offered in BVSc & AH courses at Government Veterinary colleges.

Another important rule introduced by the Medical Council of India (MCI) which can be seen as being responsible for the increase in registrations is with regard to NEET becoming the compulsory exam for admissions to MBBS courses in foreign countries as well. Earlier, students intending to pursue MBBS abroad were required to clear Class 12 and obtain a ‘Eligibility Certificate’ issued by the MCI to pursue their studies abroad. However, as per a recent notification, all students intending to pursue MBBS abroad will now have to appear for and clear NEET as their NEET score will function as the eligibility certificate from this year onwards. Without clearing NEET, students will not be allowed to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE), the compulsory examination for foreign MBBS graduates to register for practise or further studies in India.

A brief history of NEET numbers

The CBSE had declared NEET to be India’s first ‘Global Entrance Examination’ last year, given that apart from Indian Nationals, even NRIs, OCIs, PIOs and Foreign Nationals had to appear for the same if they wished to get admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in India.

NEET replaced the erstwhile All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) for the first time in 2013, but was scrapped in 2014 before being reintroduced on the basis of Supreme Court orders in 2016. The 11.38 lakh candidates appearing for NEET 2017 were indicative of an increase of 70.58% from NEET 2016 (Part 1) and 139.37% from NEET 2016 (Part 2), the last year in which separate state and University level exams were also conducted for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in the country.

A related point of interest is that while 11.38 lakh candidates registered for the exam last year, only 10.90 lakh candidates ended up appearing for NEET 2017, a difference of close to half a lakh. If the same absence rate is repeated this year, the figure of 13.36 lakh registered candidates could eventually reach closer to 12.5 lakh candidates when it comes to appearance.

Increase in registrations long expected

With so many courses coming under the complete purview of NEET from 2018 onwards, the increase in number of registrations is only indicative of the increase in number of seats on offer. The 13 lakh candidates registered for NEET 2018 indicate an increase of 18% from the numbers recorded last year, still lesser than the numbers that were expected given the numerous seats on offer.

While NEET 2017 offered admissions to 65,000 MBBS and 25,000 BDS seats, NEET 2018 will offer admissions to these as well as thousands of allied medical seats in addition.

Also in keeping with the expected increase in applications, the NEET 2018 Prospectus had notified students in February about the corresponding increase in exam cities, raised from 104 last year to 150 this year. NEET 2018 will be held on Sunday, May 6.

Apart from NEET, AIIMS MBBS and JIPMER MBBS are the other two entrance examinations conducted in India for admissions to MBBS courses. A combined total of 1000 seats are offered by the 9 All India Insititutes of Medical Sciences and 2 Jawaharlal Institutes of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research. More than 3 lakh aspirants are expected to apply for the 807 MBBS seats on offer at AIIMS and more than 2 lakh aspirants are expected to apply for the 200 seats on offer at JIPMER. If anything, the competition for seats can be said to increasingly more intensive in these two exams when compared to NEET.